Masquerade
by Candied Snowflakes
Summary: In a world where people deceive you to secure your trust, you must learn how to wear a mask to hide your true intentions. [AU]
1. Prologue

Masquerade. Oh, how lovely would it be to throw such a majestic and mysterious ball? It would be a great opportunity to publicize how much money can you earn and how much money can you throw. Spacious halls lined with golden curtains, lively orchestra, bursting fountain of expensive wines—what a show of exuberance.

If you're someone who seeks unique entertainment, you should host one; if you're not in a mood to waste your wealth away, you could join in such occasions. It is worth a peek, at the very least. Since it's a kind of ball where everyone is invited, you won't have any difficulty to enter. Well, when I say everyone, it doesn't really mean _everyone_.

Looking at people walking in flowing gowns and fancy suits, studying their masks that completely hide their true hue, hearing women's rumors and men's scheme, watching squabbles here and there, tasting macarons and cakes, indulging yourself with wines of mystical taste—everywhere you look and go, you'll be fascinated.

But be careful once you're there. Entering a masquerade ball is not what you think it seems.

Paper faces are on parade. In this place of fake facades, you won't be able to hold your ground. I recommend you to bring an army if you plan on entering this world of carnival. You will not know it, but there might be someone watching you around.

Hide your face. Yes, this is a game—a game where you can pretend to be the person you never are or the person you wanted to be. A knight, a count, a duke, a queen, or even your enemy—you will never know who you are talking to. They hide their selves, and you better hide yours so no one will ever find you.

Are you afraid? Look around, there's another mask behind you. Now, just be brave. It's not as scary as I told you.

Just have some fun. Learn this game with no rules. Play wisely and wear your mask properly. In this place, you can fool any friend who even knew you.

But be careful, you're not the only one playing the game. Masquerade is a game only nobles can surely play.

Changed your mind? Lucky you, you're not obliged to wear a mask. You can back out right away if someone frights you out.

But for me—for all of us—there's no way out. Because when you're a noble, giving up this game will cost your life.

You will go? Sure, then. I welcome you to the world of nobles—a world of masquerade.

* * *

**A/N: **There you have it. It's the prologue for my new story. I know some lines are lame, specially the last one. I'm very sorry for that.

This pie will feature Ellia (my OC) and some characters from ToTT, SI/IoH, FoMT/MFoMT, and GB. But still, I'm focusing on finishing my first story "Amaranth," so this fella might not receive all my attention. Of course, I'll update from time to time if someone likes it and if I'll receive great feedback.

**P.S. **The cover image is not mine.


	2. First Ball

**I do not own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

The horses galloped down the path in quite a speed, making the carriage we are in shake us slightly. My father did not take off his stern stare from me; giving back that stare to him is quite tiring, so I resigned by letting out a heavy sigh.

"Listen, young lady," my father started, "This will be the first and the last time I'll accompany you to this kind of gathering. This is where you shall apply all those lessons I have taught you. Those people you will meet are all professionals at this game, and you shall not show that you are easy to push around."

"I understand, Father. But," I paused as I looked at the night view outside the carriage window, "What shall I get when I go there?"

My father laughed loudly—his signature laugh that can be compared to the terrifying sound of thunder. "Innocent young lady. Where have your wits gone to?"

I glared at my father after hearing his comment. When he finally stifled his laughter and caught my glare, he straightened up and cleared his throat.

"Ellia Caterina Carleton," his stern stare returned as if those laughter earlier were just an illusion. "This is no ordinary party. When the queen throw a ball, all nobles are required to attend, even foreign royalties participate. This is the perfect chance for you to study our fellow noblemen. You are to look through their facades and judge who are the allies, who are the enemies, and who are your possible pawns."

_Look through their facades. _Those words made me nervous. When I was a child, father said to me that all noblemen wear fake facades wherever they go, and they will not rip those facades in the presence of any person, except their family. Friends, servants, or relatives—we should not trust them easily. If we did, that might be the start of our family's downfall.

"Will I be able to do it?" I asked, holding my shaking hands.

My father took my small hands in his. This time, he smiled gently at me. "You will be able to do it, child. You have the gentle eyes of your mother. As long as you have those eyes, everyone will see you as a gentle lady incapable of doing anything. And once they started to think like that, you shall make your attack."

I smiled confidently, burying my nervousness deep inside my stomach. "I will help you to solve this case, Father. Whoever that person is, he shall pay." My eyes burned with determination as I said that.

My father's gentle face turned into a worried one. "This is very dangerous, Ellia. As much as possible, I don't want you being involved in this. After losing my wife and my first daughter, you are the only happiness that I have left. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me, Father. I promise." I replied as I wipe away the single tear that fled my father's eye. "We shall avenge Mother and Sherry's death together. Besides, I have already reached this far. You will not ask me to back out now, will you?"

"This game is dangerous, young lady. I will not be always there to protect you anymore. Your mask will be your only protection. At any cost, you shall not reveal your identity. You are now eighteen. Suitors will bow down in front of you, but their aim is your succession, not your love. Women will try to befriend you, but they are planning your downfall. Are you prepared for this game?"

"Yes, Father. I am well prepared."

* * *

The carriage stopped in front of the mansion where the ball we are going to attend is being held. Before we entered, my father whispered an advice to my ear. "Wear your smile child, and do not speak to anyone. I shall do all the talking."

"Yes, Father" I replied as I wrap my right hand tightly around father's left arm.

I took a breath as we stepped into the ball. A mixed scent of perfume and wine hit my nose. Noises can be heard all around. The first thing I did is to look around the hall and studied all the people's faces and their gestures.

The people were so engrossed in their talks that not one of them noticed our arrival. Father led me to the corner of the room and pointed out the strangers one by one. I brought my fan to cover my mouth as we converse.

"That man in a red suit with black cloak is Count Regis. You know him, right?" My father spoke, but he did not point the said man with his fingers. I easily found the said man because of his unique brow and curly mustache.

"He was the one who gave me pink diamond for my birthday," I replied as I observe the Count.

"You also met the girl beside him, I presume. The shy Lady Sabrina."

"Yes, we met. But we barely talked to each other."

"There's Duke Rutger, my old friend, with his wife known as the 'Duchess of Roses.'"

"Old friend? I did not see him in Mother's funeral."

"Indeed. He was visiting a neighboring country that time. Ah! The man in violet coat is Earl Ivan. He is not with his younger brother, I see. Beware, for he might be one of your suitors."

"Suitors? With a father like you, I hardly believe I will have one."

Father laughed at my remark. Thank goodness it was not _that _loud. We cannot afford to bring all of the attention towards us now. "Of course! I won't let anyone take my precious daughter away from me! Now, let us go back to business."

While father was searching for more important persons that I need to know, I noticed a man with a light caramel hair and cold green eyes looking at our direction. Even at a distance, I can feel the coldness of his eyes.

"Father, who is that man with green eyes? He has been staring coldly at me."

My father turned to the direction where I was looking and saw the man I was talking about. The moment my father laid his eyes on the man, father quickly tore his gaze away from the man and faced me with a serious face.

"That man is a Duke. I cannot remember his name, but he has quite the reputation of being cold," father whispered. "Better not be involved with him."

I gasped when the man with green eyes started to walk towards us. "Father, I think he is coming this way," I whispered frantically.

"What the-?!"

"If it isn't Duke Felix Carleton," a voice interrupted, which caused us to jump slightly. But the owner of the voice was not the man that we were expecting. He was a tall man with hair as white as snow.

"Ah! Marquis Mikhail, good evening," father greeted. I brought my fan closer to my face and avoided the Marquis' eyes that was focused on me.

"Is she your daughter?" the Marquis asked.

"Yes, she is. This is…" Before father could continue, I leaned on his arm and frowned a little. It seemed like father realized my act and dismissed his conversation with the Marquis. "Excuse us. My daughter is not feeling well so we need to go home immediately."

The Marquis frowned. "I see. That was why you looked panicked earlier. Have a safe trip, Duke Carleton."

* * *

I sighed as we walked past the entrance doors. Getting used to strangers' gazes is harder that I thought. I hardly socialize with other people, after all.

"Father, that man's stare is very constricting. I cannot move freely under his gaze." I complained after breathing in some fresh air.

"That was a good acting. You even fooled me!" father commented.

"Well, half of that act was true. I cannot breathe properly back there."

"This will be the start of your game, young lady. Prepare your masks," father said with an unusual seriousness on his tone.

I did not know why, but those words sent shivers down my spine.

* * *

**A/N:****My, my, my. Here is the first chapter of my new story. I'm sorry if this chapter is kind of rushed (well, it is actually).**

**The characters I used in this chapter are from Grand Bazaar and Tale of Two Towns. I hope you guys will like this story. It will get better on the next chapters, I promise.**

**I published this story, but I won't be able to update frequently. I'm still focusing on writing my first story "Amaranth."**

**You might want to read it, but... I think it will be too creepy for your taste. Anyway, it's worth a shot at the very least (I guess).**

**Thanks for reading. Have a nice day. Please rate and review.**


	3. Epitome

**A/N: **As you can observe in the previous chapter, it was written in Ellia's point of view. Now, this chapter is written in another person's point of view. You'll find out who the person is if you'll read it. After this, I'll be labeling the chapters so you guys can recognize the POVs easily. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

* * *

It has been two years since I received the title of a duke from my father. My world changed since then. Since I'm living on my own, the other noblemen found me as an easy target to lure into their traps. They said I was too young to hold the position of a duke and I might end up in rags someday. But I proved them wrong when I earned an unimaginable amount of money in just four months. I did it in a legal way, of course.

After that, all nobles started to respect me, or to be exact, they started to _fear _me. They cast their glances aside whenever they meet my eyes and they bow their heads whenever I walked past them.

To show them that I am not one of their pawns, I put up a cold demeanor. I avoided transactions with my fellow noblemen and I rarely socialize with them during special gatherings. I would rather live alone than connecting a string to a fellow noble who might destroy my name any moment.

The day before my father died, he told me that nobles use each other for their own benefit. I didn't understand it back then, but now I do. Nobles are the epitome of greed. Heh. Says the one who's among them.

Tonight, I was invited to a ball. I would usually turn it down, but this one is different. It is hosted by the queen herself, and all the noblemen are required to attend as a show of respect.

I put on the white suit that once belonged to my father. The party will not be held in the royal palace but in one of the queen's mansion. I have attracted quite the attention when I arrived, but I paid no heed to the crowd and went straight to the queen and greeted her. I want to get over with this as soon as possible.

"So cold as ever," the queen chuckled after I bowed to her. She was playing with the tip of her long braid that was connected to one of her neat buns.

After a short greeting with the queen, I placed myself against the wall, watching the people chattering and dancing. It was then that I noticed two persons' arrival—a middle-aged man with a bulky build and a young lady. No one noticed them, but they didn't seem to mind it. The two of them walked to the opposite side of the hall and stood at the corner.

I recognized the man easily. He is a fellow duke named Felix Carleton, and it's rare to see him not wearing his rectangular spectacles. As far as I can remember, his wife and daughter died in his very own mansion, and both cases were forgotten by the people after few months. The lady beside him must be his other daughter, for she is too young to be the duke's second wife, in my opinion.

The said lady spread out her fan and brought it to cover her mouth, an old-fashioned gesture that was ditched by the ladies of this age. However, I found it quite attractive. I deduced the she might be a conservative one—a rare entity that can strongly attract the men, since ladies these days openly express themselves out. She's the epitome of being a proper lady.

The duke moved his mouth as he toured his eyes among the crowd. I can see his eyes clearly today, even at this distance. I think their having an interesting conversation as their eyes moved from one person to another.

My gaze landed on the young lady beside the duke. I can't see the color of her eyes from here, but her rosy, platinum hair made her face fairer. I was startled a bit when she caught my eyes, and it seemed like she was flustered after seeing me and leaned to the duke to hide her face from my view.

Her gesture made me frown. Am I _that_ terrifying to cause her to hide her face from me? The duke turned around and met my eyes, but he tore his gaze away immediately. I guess I'm really terrifying. But I don't care as long as people won't play with me.

Without me realizing it, my feet started to move forward to their direction. I want to see more of that lady's face. She looked so… pure as if she's an angel visiting this world. Her radiance was something out of this place.

I suddenly stopped when I saw someone approaching them—the Marquis of Mellowford, Mikhail Wordsworth. Realizing what I was about to do, I quickly turned to my heels and headed to the doors. I stomped down the wide porch and reached my carriage, which was parked at the far end of the high fences that surrounded the mansion.

My butler Claude opened the carriage door without a word and we stormed away from the mansion. I was breathing heavily inside the carriage. I almost done a reckless thing back there. I mentally slapped myself for acting stupid.

I finally relaxed when we arrived at my house. Claude started to speak when we're within the safety of my abode.

"Did something happen, son?" he inquired.

Aside from being my butler, Claude, together with the chef Howard, has been guiding me as my second father since my father passed away. In fact, I won't be as successful as I am now if not for his aid. I treat him as a father rather than a servant, and he treats me as a son of his own.

"I saw the Duke of Zephyr, and he was with a young lady," I mumbled.

"Hmm. That must be the Duke's youngest daughter, Lady Ellia Carleton. I heard that because of her mother and older sister's death, she never had the will to go out."

"When did the Duchess and her first daughter died?"

"About fifteen years or so. You were still young back then."

"Did you know why?"

"I don't know the details myself, but in my theory, it might be connected to the succession."

"Of the throne?"

"Yes. It was found out that the first daughter, Lady Sherry Carleton, had a higher standing in the line of succession than Prince Phillip."

"Does Lady Ellia replaced her sister in the line?"

"After Lady Sherry's death, Prince Phillip stands as the only heir because Lady Ellia refused to be lined as a successor. However, the queen shows great liking to the young lady. Rumors say that the queen wants to give the throne to the lady."

"Why would someone refuse the throne?" I asked to myself rather than to Claude.

"Duke Felix and the Duchess did the same, and we never knew why. They lead a very private life." Claude took out his pocket watch and checked the time. "However, that privacy destroyed them." Claude placed his watch back in its rightful place and asked, "What is your plan now, Cam?"

I didn't reply. Ellia Carleton's movement when she hid her face was the only thing running in my mind. I thought I was used to people avoiding me, but I was wrong. Her gesture sent an unexplainable sensation in my chest. I don't know what is it, but I hate the feeling of it swirling inside me.

* * *

**Now, you got it. This chapter is written in Cam's POV. In later chapters, he will be addressed more as Camil rather that Cam. I think I should let you guys know.**

**With the feared Cam and the mysterious Carletons, I wonder how will the story flow.**

**. . .**

**Do you like this story? Please drop a review if you feel to do so. **

**. . .**

**P.S. For Sherry's fans, please don't hate me for her death. I have to do it for the sake of the story.**


End file.
